So the record February snows set trail season back a bit this year. The only things that are dry on the national forest at the moment are the Nelson Knoll Loop, and the first mile or so of Game Creek. In some of the shadier areas you can hike and post-hole on snow but please try to avoid using muddy sections of trail as this causes trail damage and drainage problems for the rest of the summer. Other trail options include the singletrack that parallels the pathway from Game Creek to South Park Loop road and the pump park and singletrack by Blair Dr. When using the pump park please by considerate of nearby neighbors by staying in the park and keeping the noise level down. All of the pathways are dry and open and the inner park road is plowed and open to non-motorized use through May 1. Also remember the winter wildlife closures are still in effect until May 1 but the good news is that means Josie’s Ridge opens up on Wednesday next week!

@friendsofpathways

Ahh the winter that keeps on giving, we are still about a month behind last year in the trails drying out around the valley. With the snow last night and rain in the forecast the upper elevations that were getting dry are pretty slimy and slick. There may be some opportunities to get out during dry spells this weekend but I would recommend staying low and avoiding shady north facing trails. The crew this week cleared Ferrins and Wilson Canyon and they are both dry up to the meadows. Wilson Canyon has more water damage to the trail as the old cow retaining pond at the top has failed and water is running down the canyon for about a mile until it disappears underground. The crew also cleared the lower parts of History, Crater, and Black Canyon on the pass. There is still a lot of snow lingering in the trees there, but Jim Verdone was able to plow Old Pass Road so that is a good dry option. If you see Jim give him a big thank you for all the work he is doing to keep the Old Pass Road in usable shape. Have a fun weekend and hopefully we will get a little sunshine.